Airachnid's Revenge
by DreamingInReality
Summary: The following story takes place after the events that occurred in Transformers Prime: Predatory. When Jack and Arcee are kidnapped by Airachnid and imprisoned beneath the local hospital, Jack hatches a plan to escape and get rid of Airachnid once and for all. But at what cost?
1. Chapter 1

At first, there was nothing but darkness. A black abyss of nothingness that seemed to spread on forever. The only sounds that could be heard were the soft buzzing of the electricity flowing through the stasis cuffs that held a blue and silver femme suspended ten feet from the ground and a soft groan that escaped a young teenager's lips from the blackened corner.

Suddenly, the room burst into a blinding white light as the snap of a switch illuminated the room.

"Wakey wakey darlings~ It's not healthy to sleep in so late~"

The teenage boy, chiefly known as Jackson 'Jack' Darby, squinted his eyes open, looking down from the brightness of the lights and the looming, insect-like figure that stood in the center of the room. On the other side, the blue and silver femme, Optimus Prime's Second-in-Command, Arcee, groaned and flickered her optics open, only to have them lay onto Jack's disabled form in the corner. Disabled, as in, he was bound by the wrists and ankles by a strong, sticky material that resembled a spider web. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. No, this could /not/ be happening. Not again. Except this time, neither one of them could get out of it.

"Jack.."

His name came out as barely a whisper, though their predator smirked as the two recognized each other. What had gone wrong?

It was only a regular day of driving around Nevada when they got the call from Optimus that the hospital was being attacked. Jack was already with Arcee and they were only blocks away from the hospital so, she decided to take him with her. He stood out in the parking lot as she went in to investigate. Nothing seemed to be wrong at all and when she emerged from the hospital, Jack was no where to be found. She frantically searched for him, too consumed in her worry and fear that she hadn't noticed the figure behind her. And then, there was darkness. Now they were both trapped like flies on a spider's web, almost literally, for they were being held captive by none other than Arcee's demon from the past, Airachnid.

Airachnid, by now, was over by Jack's side, kneeling low as she caressed his cheek with the back of her finger.

"Such a handsome face for a handsome creature~" she cooed in that seductive voice of hers, glancing over at the distraught blue and silver femme.

"Leave him alone!" Arcee cried out, growling viciously at her.

"Oh, you know I can't do that Arcee~ It's just /so/ much fun messing with you~"

She struggled violently against the chains that held her, desperately trying to find a way to get out of this mess and get Jack out of it too, alive. She couldn't lose another partner again... She just couldn't... Especially not Jack...

Jack looked absolutely terrified, not completely over the whole ordeal from about a month ago. If only he had destroyed her in that explosion... The purple and black femme merely picked him right off of the ground, a malicious grin on her face as her fangs sparkled in the light.

"Maybe after I hang that precious head here in my new quarters I'll use your body as a delectible treat~" she said with a laugh as sinister as her smile. She continued to run her claw along his face as Jack tried to jerk away from her, but the bonds were too strong.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Arcee cried louder. "I'll do anything! Just don't hurt him!" This was like Tailgate all over again.. She couldn't take it...

"It's far too late for those battle coordinates now, Arcee~ See, the only problem is that I don't want anything /but/ this kid's head~ You're out of luck either way~"

Tears were beginning to form in the helpless femme's optics, watching her partner, her best friend, her Jack, being groped by that hideous creature and knowing what was just around the corner. Airachnid was just about to slash through the fragile flesh and bones through his neck when she got a better idea. This was too easy and /boring/ to her. She wanted to hear the kid scream. She wanted to hear them both scream. And what better way than to torture the kid?

"You know, I've got a better idea for you~" she proposed as she cut the webs from around his ankles and held him up by a leg. "You're such a fragile creature~ I mean, your skeletal structure is as easy to break as twigs~"

A loud snap rang throughout the small room, bones grinding against each other and displacing as Jack's leg was broken clean into two. He scream in pain and writhed around in her grasp, clenching his teeth to keep from crying, but most of all to act stronger for Arcee.

"JACK! NO!" Arcee screeched, flailing around violently though it was no use.

Airachnid was clearly enjoying this, tossing the poor boy up into the air and catching him by the wrists. She cut the bonds off from around them and smirked, watching him dangle by the arm she now held in her fingers.

"You sad, weak little fleshling. Oh how sad it is to see you in pain!" she exclaimed with a laugh, the cracking sound of another broken limb echoing throughout the room. This time the bone broke clean through the skin, a trickle of blood making its way down his arm and onto his pants. Both his and Arcee's screams were simultaneous, filled with a sense of pain and that this was the end... for both of them. Airachnid laughed and turned her helm over to look at Arcee.

"Tsk tsk~ It's a shame that you don't know how to hang onto /any/ of your partners~ Perhaps I'll just leave you hanging there and bring in all of your teammates, beheading them one by one until you have absolutely /no one/ left~"

Arcee glared at her, her face stained with tears and her body trembling with fury from seeing Jack being treated this way. And she was forced to watch... Or she forced herself to watch.. Airachnid laughed and turned her helm back to Jack before suddenly, she couldn't see out of her left eye and a searing pain was felt through it. She screamed in horror and dropped the teenage boy in her servo, clutching the injured eye and hissing violently. Jack fell to the ground, catching himself with his good arm and leg, his knife held firmly in his hand with a little bit of energon dripping off of it. He gave one triumphant glance over to Arcee before he started limping towards an opening to the ventilation system, despite the surge of piercing pain that flowed through him from his leg and arm. Airachnid regained stability and growled ferociously, lunging at Jack, but he made it into the air duct before she could grab him. She punched the wall in anger as Jack crawled through that vent as fast as he could. She shot chains of webs from her servo, never stopping in the hopes that she would catch the boy as she started ripping the ventilation system open. Arcee cried and struggled violently, never once being able to get free. It looked like Jack was on his own with this one and she prayed to Primus that he would make it out alive...

For a kid who had never broken any bones in his body throughout his entire short existence, he was taking it well. The adrenaline rush from trying to stay alive kept him moving through the vents until he emerged into one of the hallways of the ... hospital? Airachnid's new base was below the hospital? Huh, no wonder it smelled of blood and surgical tools.. He shoved away his mind babble as he limped through the hallway. He couldn't turn off the power because of the patients that needed it to survive, so the only thing left to do, in order to save everyone, was get everyone out of the hospital. He rushed into an empty room and grabbed a phone, dialing 9-1-1 immediately and claiming that there was a bomb in the hospital. Sirens could be heard from not that far away and the alarm systems in the hospital started blaring as everyone was trying to get the patients, and themselves, out of there before the "bomb" went off. After that was set, Jack started limping towards the main power controls in the hospital, following signs and remembering the tour his mother gave him once to get him there.

From below, as Airachnid was trying to pry the vents open, she heard the alarms and cursed. That boy was planning something and she didn't know what it was, but she didn't like it. Not one bit. She gave up on tearing up the vents and zipped out of her base as fast as she could, starting to crawl up the elevator shaft in search of her prey. Arcee cried obscenities and taunted the femme, trying to get her to come back, but when Airachnid was set on a target, she wouldn't stop until it was dead.

Jack was already one step ahead of the game. He knew that Airachnid would come into the hospital in search of him and though he would be able to free Arcee from the bonds that held her when he cut the power off, the hospital was a big place and she wouldn't be able to find him before Airachnid did, especially with the trail of blood he had already left. Airachnid was already probably using that to track him down.

The other Autobots were already arriving at the hospital scene to monitor what was going on. They couldn't reveal themselves to the public, but they kept an optic out for anything suspicious. That was, until they noticed the shadow of a giant spider-femme through a window. That's when they had to reveal themselves. Bumblebee was sent inside as the others tried to contact Arcee, with no luck.

Jack had made it into the room with the main power console, but not before he had come up with his own plan to get rid of Airachnid. It wasn't the smartest of plans and it would cost both his life and a lot of money to get the hospital fixed, but he was pretty good at blowing things up and if he was going out, he would go out with a bang. He had noticed the Autobots outside and knew that when Arcee broke out of the prison underneath the hospital, they would sense her energy signature and help her out. Besides, she wouldn't be in the same section of the hospital as him and Airachnid anyway. None of the controls made sense, so he grabbed an axe from one of the emergency glass boxes and started slashing at anything and everything. The lights started dimming and as soon as they did, Airachnid knew what he was trying. She crawled towards the main hallway, following the blood trail as she tried to get to the control room before he was able to destroy the console completely. However, within a matter of moments, the entire hospital was covered in darkness.

"Smart boy, Jack," Airachnid growled, disappointed at his persistence and mock bravery. She continued to crawl after him, able to use her advanced vision in the darkness to follow his trail.

Arcee, meanwhile, broke through the stasis cuffs that had deactivated with the power failure and started furiously making her way up the elevator shaft. Airachnid was as good as dead when she got her servos on her...

"Oh /Jack/~" Airachnid called out into the darkness. "I know you're around here somewhere~" The trail of blood had stopped. "Come out, come out wherever you are~"

She stepped into a liquid, not like blood, not like water, not even like energon. It had a horrible smell to it, making her want to plug up her nose. She heard footsteps, peering at the end of the hallway to see who it was. She didn't need to squint her eyes for long, however. At the end of the hallway stood Jack, a flare lit in his hand and a determined, grave look on his face. The pain from his broken limbs had him breathing heavily, though he looked unafraid.

"This. Ends. Here!" he cried out. He didn't even leave room for her to talk or anything before he punched one of the fire alarms next to him, the sprinklers raining everywhere before he threw the flare towards her. The glow from the fire illumined the line of small, petroleum gas tanks that ran down the hallway. Hey, you could do a lot in an hour if you put your mind to it.

"JACK!" Airachnid cried out as she lunged towards him, but not before the flare hit the petroleum-covered floor and lit the entire hallway on fire. Windows were busted with the explosion and the floor and structure of the hospital started crumbling beneath the roar of the flames. Arcee was running through the hallways, following the blood trail when she heard it.

"NO! JACK! NO!" That couldn't be him... It couldn't... It just couldn't... She was fully ready to head that way and give up her life if he was gone.. There was no way she would be able to survive without him.. It would be too much to lose a third partner... a third person she loved so much and just couldn't protect... However, a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around her, right before the building started giving way and she was being dragged back towards the main exit.

"NO!" she cried out, struggling violently in Bumblebee's arms. "LET ME GO! JACK'S STILL IN HERE!" Bumblebee beeped and clicked, barely able to hear her through the rumbling of the hospital as it started to collapse. He dragged her, kicking and screaming, outside and over to Bulkhead as the hospital finally gave in to its fiery demise...'

-One week later...-

It seemed like everyone in the entire town had gathered for this event. People who used to hate him, never knew him, loved him... Everyone... The Autobots' secret was out and even the charismatic Agent Fowler was unable to cover this one up. Every one of the patients and staff made it out alive... everyone, but one.

The urn stood at the top of a marble stand that was created in memory of a boy that gave his life to save his town. Little did anyone but Arcee know that he not only saved his town, but the rest of the human race and the Autobots themselves from a menace who knew no bounds...He gave up his future, the most precious thing anyone could have all for nothing...Airachnid was still alive, and Arcee knew it...

Only June Darby, Jack's mother, stood by the urn, not letting anyone near her as she mourned the loss of her son. There were no remains, despite a giant, spider leg within the remaining rubble of the hospital. There were no ashes that were assumed to be his, but they made an urn with his picture and name engraved into it to comemorate him as a town hero. A badge of honor was placed beside it along with roses and flowers of all sorts and some notes here and there.

The funeral lasted all day and well into the evening before the town departed, leaving the urn and a lone, feminine figure in the darkness. The only light came from the moon and the soft glow of the fires from the everlasting candles, casting dancing shadows about her small frame. Her body shook with silent sobs for a boy she had only known for a short time and who grew up from just some kid, to one of the bravest men she had ever known... Her cerulean blue optics, overflowing with tears, opened slowly as she looked up at his picture, only one word escaping her mouth as she looked at his face with a determined and furious expression.

"Revenge..."

**************************************************************************************

Energon was splayed across the floor as the limping and deformed figure paced back and forth from the confined space beneath the earth she was in. Her body was scorched and some of her limbs broken, but she was still truly alive. She paused and glanced down at a crumpled figure at her feet. He was scorched, broken, and beaten, a gash across his cheek from an acidic claw that made the blood run down his face. The floor around him was covered in blood from new wounds he had acquired through the explosion and he was sweating, having a hard time staying conscious as he fought to stay alive.

"You think you can get rid of me that easy, huh? You're a brave kid. Brave, but stupid. I've found a better way of taking care of you. For your insubordinance, I'll just let you waste away in that pathetic body of yours. You don't have much longer to live. Not in /that/ condition~ You'll be my most prized possession... and nobody can save you because everybody thinks you're dead! You're /mine/ Jackson Darby. All mine."

[To be continued...]


	2. Chapter 2

How long had it truly been? Hours? Days? Weeks? No, that time period was much too long, especially for the injuries he sustained. It would only be a couple more days before his frail heart gave out from exhaustion. Even now his heart beat faintly, brushing against his ribs like a feather against skin. The blood on his face had long since dried and stiffened his face… It wasn't like he could move much anyway. There was no longer any feeling in his broken limbs, though the blood finally ceased to leak from the wounds. It took incredible might on his part, but the young man was able to wrap his arm and leg up with scraps of his clothing to clot the blood. It was inevitable, if he actually made it out of this predicament the limbs would have to go. Throughout the two days he spent down there in that dark, dank cave, he found himself drifting in and out of consciousness, his breathing ragged and mixed with small whimpers.

The underground sanctuary Airachnid dug out for the two of them proved to be a lifesaver for her. Lately, Arcee had been prowling about the town, desperately searching for the head hunter in order to end her life once and for all. This cavern concealed Airachnid's energy signature, giving her time to pace and think of her next course of action. She needed to destroy the Autobot base that was for certain. Not only would it rid her of her age-old enemy, but the helm of Optimus Prime would look simply ravishing inside her ship when she got around to repairing it. And luckily for her, she had the secret to where the Autobot base was located: Jack.

It was a brutal struggle for him and an irritating one for her. Airachnid couldn't risk killing Jack by adding any more injuries to his list, but she needed that information! The tortures were minuscule at best: a small shifting of his twisted arm here, a jab at his broken leg there. Unable to scream, Jack groaned weakly, praying to whatever heavenly being was up there watching him to just end it.

God had no mercy for him.

There were moments of absolute fear during that time in which he didn't want to die and Airachnid fed off of that hungrily. In a particular moment of weakness, his cheek being slashed with an acidic claw, he finally relinquished the location of the Autobot base. A wicked grin spread across the spider femme's face, her fangs glistening in the dim light.  
"I knew you would be useful to me, Jack," she hissed, turning away from him. "Now if only I can get rid of that pestering femme…" The small engines of Arcee's vehicle mode could be heard ever so faintly from where they presided. Of course she would be searching; it had only been two days. Thank the Matrix that their hiding place was hidden far enough away from the boundaries Arcee would cross.

Now it was time to carry out the plan. Arcee would be needing energon soon and would return back to base. Knowing Optimus Prime, he would make her stay to get some rest. During that time, Airachnid planned on infiltrating the Decepticon base, stealing explosives and detonators, and finally planting them all around the Autobot base. By dawn, there would be nothing left of those sorry excuses for Cybertronians except for a pile of rubble and scrap metal… maybe even human flesh if she was lucky. Now Cybertronian explosives were far more advanced and dangerous than what the humans created. In fact, they were the equivalent of small nuclear bombs (imagine actual bombs created by them!). Numerous and carefully placed explosives would wipe out the entire base and everyone in it, especially when detonated all at once.

It was time to end this.

************************************************** ************************************

1:32 A.M.  
Decepticon Base- Cargo Hold

Metal clinked against the pristine tile floor as the two Eradicons made their way down the corridor to take on their daily dose of guard duty in front of the Cargo Hold. Steve and his partner, the last ones to receive the news about what befell Arcee's human companion, were discussing their own theories about what happened, oblivious to the shadowy figure behind them.

"Did you hear? They said they found the leg of some sort of giant, metal insect."

"Hey, that sounds like the spider femme Breakdown's got a crush on!"

"It /is/, idiot!"

"Well how am I supposed to know?! There could be other giant metal insects on this planet!"

Steve let loose an exasperated sigh, shaking his helm at his partner's stupidity. "All I'm saying is that femme has some serious problems. She's obsessed with the female Autobot and got herself killed taking on a human. Heh, must have been embarrassing."

A sharp intake of air followed by a low groan pulled the Eradicon out of his thoughts. Something warm splashed against his back and he /knew/ it wasn't good.

There was no time to react or call out for help as he turned around to face his doom. Fortunately for him, Airachnid spared his life and trapped him in a sticky, silky web, dragging both him and his dead partner into a nearby closet and locking them in there.  
Just ahead was the Cargo Hold and in it everything she needed. There was no code needed to open the door or voice activation for who would dare mutiny against Megatron himself?

"Yesssss." Her lavender optics brightened at the sight of her goal, her usual smirk growing more maniacal by the nanoklik. Now the only hard part would be storing enough items that would ensure the deaths of the Autobots. Explosives were shoved in every compartment on her body that would fit them before crawling back down the corridor and to the vents.

The light shining through the crack under the closet door darkened for a moment as the femme walked past. Steve's spark pulsed hard against his spark chamber and he lunged into the door with his wrapped up body multiple times before breaking through. Airachnid swiftly whipped around, sighing in relief when she realized it was just the dim-witted lackey of the Decepticon leader.

"Good luck getting out of that. By the time you do, it will already be too late~" A laugh so screechy, so horrid and vile escape her vocodor before she punched through the ventilation shaft and was gone.

Steve writhed in the webs, his screams muffled. His offline partner fell out of the closet next to him, the energon that leaked out of his wound reaching poor Steve's face.  
Once outside, Airachnid transformed into her recently downloaded helicopter form and sped away. Unbeknownst to her, someone inside the base detected the breach into the ship. He sent no one to apprehend her, but merely watched her progress out of curiosity and to record her rebellious behavior. It was none other than Megatron's most loyal soldier: Soundwave.

"Traitor," stated a very monotone voice, the amplitudes of the visible waves on his screen increasing with the noise.

He turned his back to the screen before slithering off to alert Megatron of her insubordinance.

************************************************** **********************************

2:45 A.M.

"I've had enough fun hunting down your partners, Arcee," Airachnid muttered under her breath. "Now I'm going to make sure you never have the possibility of getting another one ever again."

************************************************** **********************************

12:59 A.M.  
Cavern

"Don't worry, Jack, you'll be joining your friends soon enough."

Something seemed off about Jack's captor. She was unusually full of energy and confidence, but it was manic. Hunting wasn't just a game for her, it was an obsession and now she was about to receive the grand prize. It made her giddy, but careless. Jack was of no use to her now, but she was allowing him to wait out his death down there in that cavern.  
Big mistake.

Only minutes after Airachnid disappeared through the pitch black tunnel, Jack sprang into action. With his good arm and leg, along with a renewed rush of adrenaline, he pushed himself up into a standing position.

Days?! No, he felt like he only had hours left on this Earth. There was no way he was going to let that monster get away with killing all of his friends, though. He needed to contact them and /fast/.

The cavern wall served as a crutch for him, the journey up painfully long and slow. Once outside, he had to shield his eyes from the bright moon shining above him. Being trapped in the dark screwed up his vision. This was going to be a tough mission. He had to be at least a mile from town. On two feet, it would take about fifteen minutes to /walk/ a mile. With one foot and barely any stamina? Jack desperately hoped he would make it in time.  
Gusts of wind worked against him, sending sand up into the air and dumping it on him. His wounds stung, a renewed sense of pain apparent now that he was completely conscious of his surroundings. Every muscle screamed and every brush against his side or other leg made his broken limbs feel like they were breaking all over again. He /had/ to push on, though. It wasn't that far. There were still some lights glowing in the distance.

"I won't…l- let you …d-down, partner.."

************************************************** **********************************

1:48 A.M.

A lone gas station sitting on the edge of the highway that led straight past the ghost town. The sign labeled "Gas Hog" flickered lazily in the darkness. Doors and windows were boarded up, a yellow slip stapled to one of the boards that explained the meaning behind shutting the gas station down. Despite its fall, the lights still glowed with vivacity. A symbol of hope, maybe?

A tired boy practically dragging his body to the payphone situated right outside the door. He leaned against the stand on his good leg, panting heavily from the effort of getting there.

"Please work…" he whispered, face cringing in pain as he reached into his pocket and pulled out some spare change and inserting it into the little slot.

Slowly, he reached out for the phone and picked it up, holding his breath and praying for the dial tone.

"…."

Hallelujah!

Now who could he call? He knew none of the numbers to the Autobots' comlinks by heart.

They were a long series of numbers, about 30 digits long and he never thought he'd need to memorize that..

His mom? No way. If she heard him alive, not only would it give her false hope, but she would be more concerned about him than the Autobots.

Raf! He'd call Raf! Raf could get a hold of the Autobots quickly so they could escape the base before Airachnid got there! Maybe they could even..

No. There was no use in hoping for a rescue for him. The main focus right now was his family and thankfully he knew Raf's number.

Three rings. Three agonizingly long rings before a small, tired voice answered the phone.

"Hello…?"

"Raf!" He meant his voice to be loud and strong, but it came out as more than a raspy whisper. "Raf, listen… to me. Airachnid is s-still alive… and she's plan-planning ….on destroying the Autobot ….base! She kn-knows…. where it is and I….I need you to…. to warn the Autobots!"

There was only silence on the other end for a few moments and Jack suspected Raf had fallen back asleep. He thought wrong.

"….Jack…?"

"Just … do it," he replied before hanging up. He wasn't about to waste time explaining his predicament. He hoped that he really wasn't too late and now that he had played his part, he collapsed to the ground, waiting for death to take him.

************************************************** *********************************

2:00 A.M.

"Bee! There's an emergency! Airachnid knows where the base is and she's planning on destroying it! You have to get out of there!"

Rapid clicks and beeps were Bumblebee's only reply before he hung up. The scout went straight to Optimus and debriefed him on the situation. The base went on full alert, Bulkhead, Arcee, and Ratchet emerging out of recharge and stumbling about groggily.

"Autobots! One of the Decepticons has figured out the location of our base. I do not know if she plans on bringing an army, but we must be prepared to defend our position! Arcee and Bumblebee will head out and scout the area. Alert us when you have a visual on Airachnid. Bulkhead and I will stay here with Ratchet. We will try to lure her into a trap. If she is the only one to know of our base, we can catch her and erase her memory core. If not and there are too many Decepticons, we will be forced to retreat.." He seriously hoped for the former.

************************************************** ***********************************

2:56 A.M.

She could see the rock formation in the distance, the one she had been obsessing over for the past couple of hours. This was it! She was about to achieve the impossible!  
The silhouette of the helicopter cast an ominous shadow across the desert floor, the blades of the propeller chopping up the air. Pretty soon, she'd have a nice little collection.

Dreams die hard, though.

Just ahead of her, a bright light diverged into three separate ones as Arcee and Bumblebee appeared on the scene.

"Optimus, I've got a visual on the glitch," Arcee growled into the communications channel. She was /so/ tempted to destroy her. Then no one would have to worry anymore. A private message from Bumblebee prevented her from doing so, however. He didn't need to witness that again.

"Is she alone, Arcee?"

"From what we can tell, yes. I don't detect any other energy signatures."

"Proceed with the plan."

"Got it."

Arcee and Bumblebee transformed before opening fire on the helicopter.

"Agh!" the spider femme shrieked, swerving from left to right to avoid the blast. One hit and she would be the one caught in an explosion.. "Watch where you're shooting!" she added with a hiss.

Like they were going to listen to her.

"Bumblebee, we have to get her to fly lower so we can spring the trap!" Arcee exclaimed over the comlink. He beeped and clicked in reply as they split up and climbed up the nearest rock formations to shoot from higher up. She'd have to lower herself eventually.  
Blasts whizzed past the femme, one narrowly avoiding a compartment that held one of the detonators. These Autobots were relentless and now they were running beside her! She sent her own missiles out their way, causing them to leap off of the rocks before they were shot and transform into their vehicle modes at the last second. Damn!

"What's the point Airachnid?!" Arcee shouted as they trailed behind her. "We know what you're doing! There's no way you can pull it off!"

Airachnid cackled. "You've never been able to beat me before. How can you now?!"

Arcee practically roared with anger and drove closer to Bumblebee. "I can grab a hold of her and pull her down! Be ready to call in the ground bridge!" she ordered, pulling away and speeding up to catch up with the helicopter.

"Arcee, pull back!" Ratchet shouted over the comlink. "We've got incoming hostiles!"

Sure enough, a team of flying Eradicons and Megatron himself arrived on the scene. Arcee and Bumblebee feared the worse, thinking they were backup. However, when they started shooting, the missiles were aimed directly at Airachnid. She shrieked and dodged them, ducking behind rock formations so they wouldn't hit her.

"M-Megatron! My liege, what are you doing?!" she cried out over the comlink.

"You /dare/ barge into my ship and taking items without telling me?!" he shouted back.

"All for a good purpose, my Lord! I discovered the location of the Autobot's base! I was planning on destroying it and bringing the helm of Optimus Prime back to you as a gift!"

Out of everything she had done that night, that statement pissed the Decepticon leader off the most. Optimus was /his/ enemy and the only one who could destroy Optimus was /him/! This femme needed to learn her place. Out of blind anger and without thinking of the consequences, he fired a high-powered missile that locked on to her specific energy signature. She spotted it, desperately trying to evade it, but it was over. She lost.

A high-pitched shriek escaped her, intertwined with the rumbles of the explosions that resulted in Megatron striking her side. What was meant to merely hurt her ended up sending her straight to the Inferno. Arcee and Bumblebee swerved out of the way of the falling debris. The parts that fell to the ground were indiscernible, save for her damaged helm that rolled right in front of Arcee. Her optics were wide open, for the first time displaying fear and a sense of irony. Her mouth, agape, sent out fumes from the last remaining acid being burned. Slowly, the life drained from the components controlling the light in her optics. The head hunter was no more. Arcee transformed and looked down at the helm, a great burden being lifted from her shoulders, but at the same time a sense of grief filling her as she remembered her lost partners.

"Tell Optimus that the only one he should be worried about is /me/!" Megatron commanded from above, turning around and speeding off back to their base. The Eradicons followed close behind him.

************************************************** ***********************************

4:35 A.M.

The Autobots were gathered in the main room of the base, breathing a collective sigh of relief as they avoided yet another attempt at their lives. This was the closest yet. Never before had anyone discovered where their base was located, not even Megatron or the replica Wheeljack and they had actually /been/ in the base. To think, they were going to be destroyed while they were recharging. That was a new low, even for Airachnid. What happened to the hunt?

More importantly, how did she discover where they were?

The front door of the base opened, a small white car pulling in and parking by the ground bridge. Raf and Miko jumped out, followed by Agent Fowler and Mrs. Darby. The young woman looked like a wreck. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying and she was still dressed in her pajamas. Agent Fowler had a protective arm wrapped around her shoulders, leading her over to the couch. Bumblebee and Bulkhead walked over to greet their partners, causing Arcee to turn away. She couldn't watch that anymore..

"Agent Fowler, I suppose you heard about the explosion."

"Yeah, I heard about it all right, but that's not why I'm here."

"Is Mrs. Darby okay?"

"She's in the middle of an emotional overload at the moment."

"What happened?"

Agent Fowler glanced back at Raf who gave him a small nod to continue. "I got a call from Raf who explained to me the situation. Someone called him to warn him of Airachnid's attack and Raf called Bumblebee who I'm sure you know told you about it."

Optimus nodded. "Who called him?" he asked, sparing a glance at the young boy.

Agent Fowler didn't answer for a moment, trying to collect himself. He took in a deep breath, rubbing the back of his neck. "It was Jack."

Just saying his name was enough to make Mrs. Darby break down into sobs again.

Arcee whipped around at the mention of that name. "J-Jack? Did you say Jack?"

"Yeah that's what I said," Agent Fowler replied. He couldn't believe what he was saying, honestly. From what he heard and then saw for himself..

"Both Jack and Airachnid survived the explosion from the hospital incident. She dragged him to some underground bunker and got the information out of him. Then he called Raf to warn you guys. That's all I got from him before he lost consciousness."

"Where is he now?!" Arcee asked, her optics wide and filled with worry and fear.

"He's at the hospital undergoing numerous surgeries. We don't know when they'll be done or even if he'll make it, but they're trying their best. I expect a call on the results.."

Arcee looked like she was going to bolt, but Optimus rested a firm servo on her shoulder. All she could do was fidget.

"What do you suggest we do, Agent Fowler?" the Prime asked, his face unreadable.

"I suggest you get some rest. All of you have gone through a rough time tonight. I should have some idea on his condition tomorrow.

No one looked like they wanted to rest or even /could/ rest after hearing this bit of news. The only one to have seen Jack on that day he was supposedly killed was Arcee, so no one knew his condition… Mrs. Darby did now and it broke her heart. She was so relieved, yet so distraught over the sight of her son.

Eventually, they conceded to following Agent Fowler's suggestion. He drove Mrs. Darby and the kids home as Optimus made sure the others went in for recharge. Tomorrow would either be a day of celebration or a repeat of that devastating event only a couple nights ago.

************************************************** **********************************

Mrs. Darby, Raf, and Miko all sat in that hospital waiting room, unable to speak as their thoughts wandered off into different theories on Jack's condition and if he would make it or not. Raf heard his voice, but he didn't see the extent of the injuries. Mrs. Darby experienced both. All Miko could do was try to keep her mind off of it.

The door swiveled open and all three heads shot up as Agent Fowler entered the room. Being the military officer he was and having experienced death numerous times, he felt that he should be the first to be alerted to the news on Jack. The surgeon stood behind him, rubbing his hands together. He had been sweating, that much was obvious. His hair was disheveled from running his fingers through it so much and even his mask was a little askew. It didn't bode well for the trio awaiting the news.

"Mrs. Darby.." Agent Fowler started. Every millisecond after that statement felt like an eternity to the widowed mother. But Agent Fowler couldn't contain a smile. "He's going to be alright."

There were screams and Mrs. Darby looked like she was about to faint. Jack was alive! He was alive and he was going to stay that way! Miko and Raf both wrapped her in a hug, tears welling up in their eyes and slipping down their cheeks. Raf's glasses fogged up from the sobs and even Agent Fowler joined in for a brief moment before leaving to announce it to the Autobots who were situated outside.

The surgeon waited for a moment for the three to calm down before approaching Mrs. Darby. "The surgery went well, but we had to make some… decisions."

Mrs. Darby didn't like the sound of that, but the thought of Jack being okay was enough to drown out her worries.

"His damaged arm and leg were unable to be saved and had to be amputated," the surgeon started off. "However, Agent Fowler told us of some new technology the government was working on and he received permission to use Jack as the test subject. Don't worry, the chances that these 'upgrades' could actually harm him are slim to none. In fact, they are based off of Cybertronian technology. We don't have the same supplies, but the same concept can be replicated here. We expect full functionality in a few months."

Mrs. Darby covered her mouth, nodding and trying to contain her joy. "May I… May I see him?" she questioned, regaining her composure.

The surgeon smiled and moved out of the way of the door. "Of course."

She thanked him before disappearing down the hall and into Jack's room. He was in much better condition than when they found him. No longer pale and no longer sweating, he looked rather peaceful sleeping there on the hospital bed. His heart rate was normal, the IV line dripping much-needed nutrients into his system and a blood bag situated right next to it. The most amazing part she noticed was his limbs. They were… unscathed! Yes, they weren't his real legs, but still. It was incredible how well they blended with what was left of his real leg. There was no hint of a break and no one would be able to tell that it was prosthetic. The skin was so life-like and it felt so real… His arm was the same way. There were a few skin grafts from the burns he sustained from the explosion and his cheek had a bandage stretched across it, but he was fine other than that.

"Oh Jack.. My baby.." she whispered, sitting down next to him and taking his real hand into hers, kissing it softly and starting to sob quietly once more.

************************************************** ********************************

Mrs. Darby walked out of the room a few hours later, heading to grab something to eat for her son when she noticed the surgeon speaking with the Autobots.

"…visit him?"

"I don't see why not, but you'll have to ask Mrs. Darby that," the surgeon replied to Arcee's question.

June opened the door, looking up at the blue and silver femme who cared so much for her son. She only hesitated for a moment before smiling. "If you can fit into the building, by all means. He's awake now and I'm sure he wants to see you."

Arcee smiled slightly and nodded. She was small and able to fit through the door with relative ease. The hospital was definitely bigger than the garage back at Jack's house, though his room might not be. She managed to fit into the door of his room before it was apparent she shouldn't get too close so as to not mess with the machinery.

Jack was awake, his eyelids at half-mast as he sat watching TV. Upon hearing Arcee crawling into the room, he turned his head in her direction, managing a weak smile. "Hey."

"Three days of thinking you're dead and that's all you can say to me?" Arcee asked, her voice cracking. He was alive. His heart was beating, he was speaking, he was real.

Jack chuckled, looking back to the TV screen. "You know I'm not much of a talker."

"You blab all the time around me."

"Touche."

Arcee smiled and crawled closer, inspecting him. "How are you feeling?"

"Well, you know, the morphine does a lot for the pain, but I'm fine."

Her gaze fell to where his hand was resting and she rested the tips of her fingers over it. "You don't know how happy I am to hear that." Her vision started to blur with the oily tears welling up in them.

"Ar—"

"No, I'm not finished. Jack, you are the bravest human I've ever met. Slag, you're just the greatest.. being I've ever met. What you did for the town.. for me.. I'll never be able to repay you for what you've done for me and I'll always regret what happened to you.. But you did it, Jack. You beat her. She's gone now, forever.."

He smirked slightly. "Not bad for a junior partner, huh?"

She shook her helm. "You've leveled up to partner, kid. But you're more than just a partner to me, Jack. You're my best friend, my family and I… I love you."

He smiled, feeling the sting of tears as he reached out his arm for her to come closer. She did and he rested his cheek against her cool face, his arm wrapping around to the other side in a hug. "And you mean the same to me, Arcee. I love you, too."


End file.
